94 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
OF FORTY YEARS STANDING. 
Growth of the Oldest Nursery In Texas and One of Oldest in Coun¬ 
try-Founded by William Watson In 1859—His Sons Pro¬ 
ceeding on the Same Enterprising Plan—Nursery- 
Born and Nursery-Bred They Are Nurserymen. 
hundreds of miles by wagon. Texas is the state of “ magnifi¬ 
cent distances.” The first trees planted in the present city of 
Alvin, now the great fruit center of the coast country, were 
from these nurseries many years ago. Among the first 
fruit trees planted in the fruit belt of East Texas, were those 
furnished by Mr. Watson. 
We present in this issue views of the oldest nursery in Texas 
and one of the oldest in the country. 
Forty years ago the Rosedale Nursery 
was established by William Watson at Bren- 
ham. Some account of an institution 
which has existed so long and which has 
attained such a commanding position 
despite many obstacles is of special interest. 
William Watson, the founder of the busi¬ 
ness, came from Ireland, where his father 
had settled, after leaving the family home 
in Lancashire, England. In youth he 
traveled much over many parts of the 
world. In visiting the botanical gardens 
of London, Paris, Vienna, Stuttgart, 
Munich, Naples, Turin, and even Rio de 
Janeiro, he found much to interest him, 
and thus possibly ac¬ 
quired his love for 
llowers and fruits. He 
lived in New York city 
a while, then in Wheel¬ 
ing, later in Louisville, 
and came to Texas in 
1859, to Galveston. 
He selected Brenham, 
Washington county, to 
locate, and rented a 
house and three acres 
of land on which he 
established his nursery 
or the beginning of it. 
Hardly had that begin¬ 
ning become substantial when his 
state withdrew from the Union, 
and in the war that followed, he 
carried a musket in her defense. 
At the close of the war, broken 
in health and fortune, he again 
took up his work. It was some¬ 
thing new in this section and it 
prospered. Within ten years his 
business had grown out of its long 
clothes stage, and he bought thirty 
acres of land near Brenham and 
located the present site of the 
nursery; this place was improved 
and within three years he declined 
an offer of $30,000 for his place 
and business. In those days it 
was different down there; for a 
long time Brenham had no rail¬ 
road; later it was only the term 
inus and trees had to be hauled 
Having a vast field, and an increasing immigration, the busi¬ 
ness grew, while Mr. Watson added to his nurseries from time 
to time until they now include nearly two 
hundred acres of fine Texas prairie land. 
Mr. Watson died in 1897, aged 65 years. 
He had been vice-president of the Ameri¬ 
can Pomological Society, vice-president 
of the American Association of Nursery¬ 
men. He was one of the founders and 
leading spirits of the Texas State Horti- 
culticultural Society and its second presi¬ 
dent. Mr. Watson was well known to 
the veteran nurserymen, P. J. A. Berck- 
mans, John Saul, Thomas Meehan, the 
Smiths and others. An indication of the 
esteem in which the founder of the Rose- 
dale Nurseries was held is the following 
from the Horticultural Gleaner under 
date of September, 
1897: 
On the 19th of August 
the horticulturists of 
Texas lost, by the death 
of Mr. William Watson, 
one of their greatest bene¬ 
factors. Mr. Watson’s 
work in Texas began at 
Brenham in 1859, where 
he has since labored per¬ 
sistently and industrious¬ 
ly for the development of 
Texas horticulture. It is 
difficult to estimate the 
amount of good done by 
his labors. If he had not 
john watson, manager. spent his time and money 
in making experiments his survivors 
would have to make them now. If 
he had not made failures and suffered 
loss and disappointment, we would 
have them to suffer now. But he has 
left his work so that we may take it 
up and carry it forward to our own 
and the country’s good. A debt of 
gratitude is due the memory of Mr. 
Watson, not by the horticulturists 
only, but by the state. Every orchard 
planted in Central Texas is planted 
in the light of Mr. Watson’s work. 
Mr. Watson was succeeded by 
his eldest son, Stanley H. Wat¬ 
son, who, with his brothers, was 
given a good education. He 
selected the agency business, 
and was accounted a good 
salesman. The S. H. in his 
name stands for “Strictly Hust¬ 
ling,” and when he goes after 
business, he generally gets it ; 
WILLIAM WATSON, FOUNDER. 
U.'-'X 
v 
. 'T~ 
STANLEY H. WATSON, Proprietor. 
